Gluteus training device

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to gymnastic apparatuses and devices for gymnastic exercises, more specifically, to devices for the training of specific muscles, and can be used for musculature development and strengthening by means of exercises based on the overcoming of a counteracting force, for example, for gluteus training.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national phase application of a PCT application PCT/RU2006/000146 filed on 28 Mar. 2006, published as WO2007/001208, whose disclosure is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, which PCT application claims priority of a Russian patent application RUA2005/120049 filed on 29 Jun. 2005.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to gymnastic apparatuses and devices for gymnastic exercises, more specifically, to devices for the training of specific muscles, and can be used for musculature development and strengthening by means of exercises based on the overcoming of a counteracting force, for example, for gluteus training.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known (SU Inventor's Certificate 1584963) is a combined training device comprising a vertical frame with retractable supports interconnected with tie rods in the bottom portions, retractable support section clamps, mini bars and hooks in the top portions of the retractable supports for the installation of a horizontal bar or other apparatuses, and a bench consisting of several longitudinal sections each further consisting of a seatback, a seat and a seatback traverse for hanging on the retractable support hooks.

The training device further comprises hooks in the bottom portions of the retractable supports, a longitudinal pipe rod one side of which is installed on a tie rod with a hinge joint allowing its rotation and folding in the same plane with the frame during transportation and the other side of which has a bench seat support lever and a coaxially installed detachable U-shaped support with components allowing one side of the U-shaped support to be engaged with the support lever and the other side of the U-shaped support to rest on the floor, an additional support installed on the opposite side of the pipe rod that can be hung on the retractable support top portion hooks and a bracing support connecting the pipe rod and the bench seat, wherein the bench seatback is provided with stops for support installation on the hooks during seatback tilt angle adjustment and the bench seat has holes for the installation of the bracing support and the bench seat support lever.

Disadvantage of the known device described above is its unsuitability for gluteus training.

Also known (RU Patent 2069575) is a combined training device comprising a frame formed by supports interconnected in the top and bottom portions, a hanger attached to the frame, a bearing pulley with a wire to which a set of loads is attached, a set of apparatuses comprising a horizontal bar installed on the supports with fastening rods, a bench consisting of hinge-interconnected longitudinal sections, arm and leg supports and a bench and a shelf for apparatuses connected with the frame.

The training device further comprises side stops, the supports are interconnected with the top and bottom tie rods, the set of apparatuses further comprises mini bars, a weight for lifting, a plate for additional wire pulleys each of which is connected to the main wire at one end and has a handle at the other end, handwheels with handles for breast muscle, delta muscle and forearm muscle training, soft socks, round pedals installed on bearings, apparatus fastening components, bearing shafts for apparatuses, fastening components for mini bars installation on the supports and lifting weight fastening hooks, wherein the handwheels with handles and the support with the bottom tie rod are interconnected through a hinge joint, and the support have fastening holes for the installation of the seat, bench, arm and leg supports, round pedals, apparatus fastening components and bearing shafts.

Disadvantage of the known device described above is its unsuitability for gluteus training.

Also known (SU Inventor's Certificate 1780779) is a muscle and joint training device comprising vertical supports forming, in combination with the bottom and top traverses, a frame structure with a horizontal bar fastened to the top portion of the frame structure, a swinging frame hinge-fastened on the training device supports and having posts and a support, a set of loads installed to move along the guides and connected with a flexible component passed through a system of pulleys and having a hook on its free end, and leg supports connected with the bottom traverse.

The training device further comprises a set of interchangeable loading devices each having fasteners for connection to the flexible component hook and height-adjustable folding steps for legs, wherein the leg supports are in the form of levers interconnected by a common shaft, installed with hinges on the bottom traverse and having a connecting component to the flexible component hook, one of the pulleys is installed on the frame below the swing frame level, and the swinging frame support and posts have devices for fastening the interchangeable loading devices.

Disadvantage of the known device described above is its unsuitability for gluteus training.

The closest prior art counterpart of the device structure disclosed herein below is (SU Inventor's Certificate 935101) a leg training device comprising leg and arm supports, a loading device in the form of elastic components and a frame, wherein the leg supports are fastened to the frame and interconnected with the flexible components and are in the form of rings and/or pedals.

The latter known device operates as follows.

The user (patient) sits on the support (bed), the patient's feet resting on the rings or the pedals, and patient's arms resting on the arm supports. By pressing the rings or the pedals with his/her legs (either simultaneously or alternately), the patient squeezes the thigh flexors and extensors and trains the leg joints, wherein the loading devices provide for the necessary rigidity of the structure and the component fastening devices keep the entire structure in the state as is the most suitable for the patient. The motion rate and loads should be adjusted by the therapist or the patient him/herself. For training of the thigh adductors and abductors, as well as the spinal, abdominal and shank muscles, the patient passes the legs through the rings and performs leg swinging motions to overcome the resistance of the elastic components.

Disadvantage of the latter known device is the impossibility of gluteus training because the latter known device is only intended for the restoration of deranged physiological functionality of body muscles.

BRIEF GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an aim of this invention is to propose a training device for gluteus training providing gluteus training without pressure upon the gluteus from the bench. Other aims of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawing, ensuing description, and claims as hereinafter related.

The aforesaid aim can be achieved by providing a gluteus training device comprising a vertical frame on which a loading device is installed. The loading device is connected to a wire, at least one end of which passes through at least one pulley installed on the vertical frame, wherein the wire is connected to at least one leg resting device fastened on a least one wire tensioning device. The training device further comprises a bench for the exercising person, the bench comprising at least spine and head resting sections and a gluteus resting section, wherein the gluteus resting section is fastened to allow swinging during gluteus training exercises.

The swinging mechanism may be in the form of two hinge-interconnected plates wherein the free end of one plate is hinge-fastened on the support and the free end of the other plate is hinge-fastened on the gluteus resting section of the bench. The leg resting device preferably has a round or oval shape. The wire tensioning device is preferably in the form of an additional support installed on the frontal portion of the vertical frame on which a round or oval shaped pulley is installed.

Preferably, at least one bench section is fastened to the vertical frame and furthermore, at least one bench section can be fastened to a separate support in front of the vertical frame.

In one embodiment of this invention, the spine and head resting bench section can be fastened to the frame or the support to allow height and tilt angle adjustment and fixation, wherein the gluteus resting bench section is fastened to the frame or the support to allow height and tilt angle adjustment and fixation.

In another embodiment of this invention, the gluteus resting bench section can be fastened to the frame or the support to allow direction and swinging angle adjustment or fastened to the frame or the support to allow swinging in the beginning of the patient's motion and return to the initial position at the end of the patient's motion. The bench sections are preferably rapidly interchangeable.

The training device may further comprise leg and arm supports fastened to its structural components in order to provide for body support during the patient entering the training device and leaving the training device, as well as arm supports fastened to its structural components in order to provide for arm resting during the exercises. The loading device can be fastened to the wire with an additional pulley, wherein the wire passes through an additional pulley and the pulleys fastened to the frame and the wire ends are connected with the leg resting devices.

The leg resting devices can be fastened to one wire tensioning device or fastened to two wire tensioning devices and located at the opposite sides of the bench. The leg resting devices may comprise more than one support for different parts of the leg. In this later case the supports of the leg resting device can be designed to allow adjustment of their mutual distances and tilt angles and/or distances from the rotation center of the leg resting device.

The training device can be designed to allow changing the angle between the thigh and the shank while making exercises. In some embodiments of the training device disclosed in this invention, at least one end of the wire after passing through at least one pulley installed on the vertical frame is connected to at least one support for different parts of the leg. The gluteus resting bench section can be fastened to allow swinging before the start of gluteus training exercises and return to the initial position after the completion of the exercises.

Due to the different anthropological parameters of potential users, the bench sections are preferably rapidly interchangeable. The training device may further comprise leg and arm supports installed on the vertical frame, the wire tensioning device and the additional supports and intended for body support during the patient entering the training device and leaving the training device.

The training device may further comprise arm supports installed on the vertical frame, the wire tensioning device, the additional supports and the spine and head resting bench section and intended for arm resting during the exercises. To allow making exercises for training right or left gluteus separately and exercises for training right or left gluteus alternately (in locomotion mode), the loading device can be fastened to the wire with an additional pulley. In this latter case the wire may pass through an additional pulley and the pulleys fastened to the frame and the wire ends can be connected with the leg resting devices fastened to the wire tensioning devices.

In one embodiment of the training device the leg resting devices can be installed on two wire tensioning devices and located at the opposite sides of the bench to allow training right or left gluteus separately and training right or left gluteus alternately (in locomotion mode).

In another embodiment of the training device the leg resting devices can be installed on one wire tensioning device to simplify entering and leaving the device and allow making exercises for training right or left gluteus separately and exercises for training right or left gluteus alternately (in locomotion mode).

Alternately, the leg resting devices may comprise more than one support (preferably, supports for the back thigh portion, the back shank portion, the heel and the foot sole), wherein the supports of the leg resting device can be designed to allow adjustment of their mutual distances and tilt angles and/or distances from the rotation center of the leg resting device. In one embodiment of the training device, to provide for stress relief from the thigh and shank muscles during gluteus training, the training device can be designed to allow thigh to shank angle adjustment during the exercises by means of a mechanism that changes the mutual positions of the supports for different parts of the leg comprised in the leg resting device during the gluteus training motion such that the shank changes its angular position relative to the thigh to make the shank axis coincide with the shank movement direction.

DESCRIPTION & OPERATION OF EXEMPLARY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the invention may be susceptible to embodiment in different forms, there are shown in an appended drawing figure (FIG.), and will be described in detail herein below, specific embodiments of the present invention, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention, and is not intended to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein.

The basic embodiment of the training device is exemplified in FIG., wherein the following notations are used: (1) vertical frame, (2) loading device, (3) wire, (4) pulley installed on (1) vertical frame, (5) leg resting device, (6) spine and head resting bench section, and (7) gluteus resting bench section.

The operation of the training device will be exemplified hereinbelow with the following embodiments.

1. The exercising person sits on the gluteus resting bench section and resting the arms and legs on the supports (5) places the spine and head on the spine and head resting bench section (6), following which raises the legs, rests the legs on the supports for different leg portions and places the arms on the respective supports. Following this the exercising person presses the supports (5) with the legs to squeeze the glutei while overcoming the resistance of the loading devices, and the gluteus resting bench section swings out. Having driven the legs to the maximum gluteus squeezing position, the training person gradually returns the legs to the initial position. Following the completion of the exercise, the gluteus resting bench section swings back to return to the initial position.

2. The exercising person sits on the gluteus resting bench section and resting the arms and legs on the supports (5) places the spine and head on the spine and head resting bench section (6), following which raises the legs, rests the legs on the supports for different leg portions and places the arms on the respective supports. Before starting the exercise, the exercising person swings out the gluteus resting bench section (7) by operating a handle. Following this the exercising person presses the supports (5) with one leg to squeeze the glutei while overcoming the resistance of the loading devices (2). Having driven the leg to the maximum gluteus squeezing position, the training person presses the supports with the other leg to squeeze the second leg gluteus and simultaneously gradually returns the first leg to the initial position.

After several repetitions of this exercise, the exercising person returns both legs to the initial position and operates the handle to return the gluteus resting bench section to the initial position.

The use of this training device design allows gluteus training without pressure upon the gluteus from the bench seat. 

1. Gluteus training device comprising a vertical frame on which a loading device is installed wherein said loading device is connected to a wire, at least one end of which passes through at least one pulley installed on said vertical frame, wherein said wire is connected to at least one leg resting device fastened on a least one wire tensioning device, said training device further comprising a bench for the training person, and said bench comprising at least spine and head resting sections and a gluteus resting section, wherein said gluteus resting section is fastened to allow swinging during gluteus training exercises.
 2. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said leg resting device is round or oval shaped.
 3. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said wire tensioning device is preferably in the form of an additional support installed in front of said vertical frame on which a round or oval shaped pulley is installed.
 4. Training device according to claim 1, wherein at least one bench section is fastened to the frontal portion of said vertical frame.
 5. Training device according to claim 1, wherein at least one bench section is fastened to a separate support in front of said vertical frame.
 6. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said spine and head resting bench section is fastened to said frame and/or said support to allow height and tilt angle adjustment and fixation.
 7. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said gluteus resting bench section is fastened to said frame and/or said support to allow height and tilt angle adjustment and fixation.
 8. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said gluteus resting bench section is fastened to said frame or said support to allow direction and swinging angle adjustment.
 9. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said gluteus resting bench section is fastened to said frame or said support to allow swinging in the beginning of the patient's motion and return to the initial position at the end of the patient's motion.
 10. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said bench sections are rapidly interchangeable.
 11. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said training device further comprises leg and arm supports fastened to its structural components in order to provide for body support during the patient entering said training device and leaving said training device.
 12. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said training device further comprises arm supports fastened to its structural components in order to provide for arm resting during the exercises.
 13. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said loading device is fastened to said wire with an additional pulley, wherein said wire passes through an additional pulley and the pulleys fastened to said frame and the wire ends are connected with said leg resting devices.
 14. Training device according to claim 13, wherein said leg resting devices are fastened to one wire tensioning device.
 15. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said loading devices are fastened to two wire tensioning devices and located at the opposite sides of said bench.
 16. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said loading devices comprise more than one support for different parts of the leg.
 17. Training device according to claim 16, wherein the supports of said leg resting device allow adjustment of their mutual distances and tilt angles and/or distances from the rotation center of said leg resting device.
 18. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said training device allows changing the angle between the thigh and the shank while making exercises.
 19. Training device according to claim 1, wherein at least one end of said wire after passing through at least one pulley installed on said vertical frame is connected to at least one support for different parts of the leg.
 20. Training device according to claim 1, wherein said gluteus resting bench section is fastened to allow swinging before the start of gluteus training exercises and return to the initial position after the completion of the exercises. 